New Vans for Handicapped

Souped-up van conversions are as common around Southern California as waterbeds, but there’s one kind of van conversion hitting the market here that has a little more going for it than state-of-the-art tuck-and-roll upholstery.

Chrysler Corp. and Intex, a Texas company that designs and manufactures so-called mobility aids, last week unveiled two versions of the popular minivan aimed at people with physical disabilities--estimated to number more than 730,000 in Los Angeles alone.

Perhaps the minivans’ leading feature--amid a host of high-tech goodies--is that it can be purchased right off the showroom floor. That’s a big improvement over the months-long delays that usually accompany outfitting a van for a handicapped driver or passenger, according to Bill King, vice president for sales and marketing at San Antonio-based Intex.

The Plymouth Voyagers and Dodge Caravans each are available in two standard conversion packages. One allows a driver in a wheelchair to transfer easily to the front seat of the van and drive with special computerized hand controls.

The other is designed for the handicapped passenger. The van comes equipped with a hydraulic lift and special gull-wing door for easy access, and the chassis is reinforced to handle the additional weight.

Both models, including the special equipment, are available for about $21,000, King said.

“We’ve reinvented the old American station wagon and adapted it for a person in a wheelchair,” King said. The minivans are smaller and thus more maneuverable than the heavier vans that are more typical for handicapped drivers, he noted.

Also, it’s the first time such vans are being made available through a dealer network. “The vans are being sold in a real unique way--it’s the first time a major auto network has taken notice of this particular market,” King said. “And it’s a standardized product line, allowing a person to handle the product like any other consumer product,” warranties and all.

So far, Intex and Chrysler are selling the vans through 16 Dodge and Plymouth dealers in eight states and are adding one or two dealers a week, King said. The vans made their Southern California debut this weekend at Del Amo Dodge in Torrance, now the sole California dealer.